Madhuri Khute, Saroj Sharma, Khageshwar Singh Patel*, Piyush Kant Pandey, Jasmina Allen, Warren Corns, Nelina Georgieva, Elena Bozhanina, Borislav Blazhev, Simge Varol, Pablo MartiÂn-Ramos and Yanbei Zhu
Cereals serve as a major food source for humans and animals. This investigation explored the presence of arsenic species in cereal crops grown in the contaminated area of Ambagarh Chouki (Chhattisgarh, India). Rice, wheat and maize, along with husk, straw and soil samples, were analyzed using hydride generation–atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG–AFS), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Significant inorganic arsenic (iAs) contamination was found in rice, wheat, and maize plants, with the highest levels in roots, followed by husk, straw, and grain. Inorganic arsenic content in rice grain ranged from 229.9 mg kg−1 to 684.7 mg kg−1, while in wheat and maize it ranged from 84.6 mg kg−1 to 218.5 mg kg−1 and from 20.0 mg kg−1 to 26.2 mg kg−1, respectively. All cases exhibited a hazard quotient exceeding 1. Organic arsenic, specifically monomethyl arsenic (MMAs) and dimethyl arsenic (DMAs), were detected in rice plants. The findings address speciation, enrichment, sources, transfer factors, and health risk assessment. Overall, this study emphasizes the detrimental health effects of consuming cereals grown in this region, necessitating intervention by the Indian Government.
Published Date: 2024-02-05; Received Date: 2024-01-04
